Cursor Setup and Interface Overview

The fastest way to understand what an AI-powered IDE can do is to have one running in front of you. In this lesson, you will download and install Cursor, bring your existing editor settings across from VS Code, and get comfortable with the interface before you start using the AI features in earnest.

By the end of this lesson, you will have a fully working Cursor installation with your preferred themes, extensions, and keyboard shortcuts in place, and you will know your way around both the classic editor and the Agents Window.

What You'll Learn

• Where to download Cursor and how to install it on Mac, Windows, and Linux
• How to import your VS Code settings, extensions, and keybindings in one step
• How to navigate the editor: sidebar, editor area, terminal, and the Agent side panel
• What the Agents Window is and when you might use it
• How to sign in and choose between the free tier and a paid plan
• How to confirm that the AI features are active and working

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Downloading Cursor

Cursor is available at cursor.com. The download page automatically detects your operating system and offers the correct installer. Cursor supports macOS, Windows, and Linux.

The download is a standard installer. There is no package manager command required, though community-maintained packages exist for tools like Homebrew on macOS and various Linux package managers if you prefer that route.

Checking System Requirements

Cursor is built on the same foundation as VS Code, so its system requirements are similar: a reasonably recent 64-bit version of macOS (Intel or Apple Silicon), Windows, or a mainstream Linux distribution. Check the download page for the current minimum versions, since they change over time.

Cursor runs fine on machines with 8 GB of RAM and feels more responsive with 16 GB or more, especially when you run agents on large projects.

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Installing on macOS

Once the .dmg file downloads:

1. Open the .dmg file by double-clicking it
2. Drag the Cursor icon into your Applications folder
3. Open Cursor from Applications or Launchpad
4. On first launch, macOS may display a security warning because Cursor is downloaded from the internet. Click Open to proceed.

If macOS blocks the app with a "cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified" message, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway next to the Cursor entry.

Tip: Add Cursor to PATH on macOS

Cursor can install a cursor command in your terminal so you can open projects directly from the command line:

1. Open Cursor
2. Press Cmd+Shift+P to open the Command Palette
3. Type shell command and select Shell Command: Install 'cursor' command in PATH

After this, you can run cursor . from any project directory to open it in Cursor, the same way code . works with VS Code.

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Installing on Windows

The Windows installer is a standard .exe setup file:

1. Run the downloaded installer
2. Accept the license agreement
3. Choose your installation directory (the default C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Programs\Cursor is fine for most users)
4. Optionally add a desktop shortcut
5. Click Install and wait for the process to complete
6. Click Finish. Cursor will launch automatically.

Windows Defender SmartScreen may display a warning on first run. Click More info and then Run anyway to proceed.

Tip: Open from the Command Line on Windows

After installation, cursor and cursor . commands work in both Command Prompt and PowerShell, provided the installation directory was added to PATH during setup. If the commands are not found, you can add the Cursor binary directory to your PATH manually through System Properties > Environment Variables.

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Installing on Linux

Cursor provides an AppImage for Linux, which is a self-contained format that works across most distributions without needing to install dependencies:

1. Download the .AppImage file
2. Make it executable: chmod +x cursor-*.AppImage
3. Run it: ./cursor-*.AppImage

Some users prefer to integrate the AppImage with their desktop environment using a tool like appimaged or by manually creating a .desktop entry.

For distributions that use apt or rpm, check the Cursor documentation for current instructions, as package availability has expanded over time.

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Importing Your VS Code Settings

The most welcoming thing about Cursor is how easy it is to carry your existing VS Code configuration across. Because Cursor is built on the same core as VS Code (the open-source editor platform called Code OSS), it can read VS Code's settings directly.

On first launch, Cursor will offer to import your VS Code configuration. This import covers:

• Settings: all your editor preferences (font size, tab settings, format on save, and so on)
• Extensions: every extension installed in VS Code is re-installed in Cursor
• Keybindings: your keyboard shortcuts transfer across
• Themes: your current color theme and icon theme
• Snippets: custom code snippets you have created

To trigger the import:

1. On first launch, choose the option to import from VS Code when prompted
2. Cursor locates your VS Code profile automatically
3. The process takes between a few seconds and a couple of minutes depending on how many extensions you have

If you skip the prompt, you can import later from Cursor Settings or by searching the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P on Mac, Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux) for "import".

What If You Do Not Use VS Code?

If you are coming from a different editor, such as JetBrains, Vim, or Emacs, Cursor still works perfectly. You will simply configure it from scratch. Cursor supports the same popular keybinding presets as VS Code (including Vim mode via the VSCodeVim extension), so even non-VS Code users can make it feel familiar quickly.

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The Interface: Two Ways to Work

Cursor gives you two main surfaces. Both can be open at the same time, and you can move between them freely.

• The editor: the classic VS Code-style layout with your files in the middle and the AI in a side panel. This is where most of this course takes place.
• The Agents Window: a separate window built around agents rather than files, for running and managing several agents at once.

The Editor Layout

Once Cursor is open and you have imported your settings, the editor will look very familiar if you know VS Code.

The Activity Bar and Sidebar. The narrow strip on the far left switches between Explorer (your file tree), Search, Source Control, Extensions, and other views. Clicking an icon opens that view in the Sidebar.

The Editor Area. The large central area is where files open for editing. You can have multiple files open in tabs, split the editor horizontally or vertically, and pin files to keep them open. This is identical to VS Code. It is also where Tab suggestions and inline edits (Cmd+K / Ctrl+K) appear.

The Agent Side Panel. This is the biggest addition compared to VS Code. The Agent side panel is where you talk to the AI about your code: asking questions, planning work, and having the Agent make changes. Toggle it with Cmd+I or Cmd+L on Mac (Ctrl+I or Ctrl+L on Windows/Linux). Both shortcuts open the same panel.

Inside the panel you will find:

• A chat input where you type requests and use @ to add files, folders, and other context
• A mode picker for Agent (the default, which can edit files and run commands), Ask (read-only questions), and Plan (research first, then build from a plan). Press Shift+Tab in the input to switch modes.
• A model picker for choosing which AI model to use, or leaving it on Auto

The Terminal. The integrated terminal sits at the bottom of the screen and works the same as VS Code's terminal. Open it with Ctrl+` on all platforms. The Agent can also run commands here when you allow it.

The Status Bar. The bar at the very bottom shows the current git branch, errors and warnings, and the language mode of the active file.

The Agents Window

The Agents Window is a newer workspace designed for running many agents in parallel. Open it from the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P) by searching for "Agents Window".

In the Agents Window you can:

• Start several agents at once, each in its own tab, and watch them side by side
• Run agents locally, in separate git worktrees so they do not step on each other, or in the cloud
• Review what each agent changed before you keep it

You do not need the Agents Window to follow this course. It is worth knowing about because it becomes useful once you are comfortable handing off bigger tasks. We will return to it later.

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Signing In and Choosing a Plan

Cursor requires an account to use the AI features. On first launch, a sign-in prompt will appear after the initial setup steps.

Creating an Account

Click Sign In on the welcome screen. You can sign up with an email address or with an existing account such as Google or GitHub. The account manages your subscription and usage.

Free Tier vs. Paid Plans

Cursor offers a free Hobby tier and several paid plans. The details change often, so treat this as a rough guide and check cursor.com/pricing for current terms.

Free (Hobby):

• Limited monthly AI usage
• Includes Tab completion and access to Agent, with usage caps
• Enough to try every feature in this course

Paid plans:

• An individual plan starting around $20 per month, with higher tiers for heavy users
• Much more included usage, both for Cursor's own models (such as Composer) and for models from providers like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google
• Team and Enterprise plans with shared admin controls, team rules, and billing
• In some regions, Cursor offers lower-priced plans

For learning purposes, the free tier is enough to explore the features covered in this course. If you start using Cursor heavily for real work, a paid plan is worth considering.

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Verifying That AI Features Are Working

Once you are signed in, the AI features should activate immediately. Here is a quick way to check everything is working:

1. Open a project folder
2. Open the Agent side panel with Cmd+I / Ctrl+I (or Cmd+L / Ctrl+L)
3. Switch to Ask mode with Shift+Tab so nothing gets edited, then type a simple question like "What does this project do?" and press Enter
4. The AI should start responding within a few seconds

If the panel is unresponsive or shows an error, check:

• You are signed in: look for your account in Cursor Settings
• You have usage left: your usage is shown in Cursor Settings and on your account dashboard at cursor.com
• Your internet connection is active: Cursor's AI features need a connection to reach the model servers

For Tab completion, open a code file and start typing. When a grey suggestion appears, press Tab to accept it. If no suggestions appear after a moment, make sure Tab is turned on in Cursor Settings.

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Key Takeaways

• Cursor is available from cursor.com and installs like a standard application on Mac, Windows, and Linux
• On first launch, Cursor offers to import your VS Code settings, extensions, keybindings, and themes in a single step
• The editor looks like VS Code, with the AI living in the Agent side panel, toggled with Cmd/Ctrl+I or Cmd/Ctrl+L
• The side panel has a mode picker (Agent, Ask, Plan) and a model picker; Shift+Tab switches modes
• The Agents Window is a separate workspace for running several agents in parallel, locally, in worktrees, or in the cloud
• You need a Cursor account to use AI features; the free tier is enough for learning, and paid plans add more usage
• The cursor . shell command opens any project in Cursor from the terminal, the same way code . works with VS Code